Author: Festus Adeloye

The House of Representatives on Thursday passed a bill seeking to establish a new state in the southeastern region known as Orlu State. The bill which passed first reading was sponsored by Hon. Ikeagwuonu Ugochinyere, member representing Ideato North South Federal Constituency of Imo State, along with other co-sponsoring lawmakers. According to the draft bill, the creation of Orlu State will amend the 1999 Constitution, increasing the number of states in Nigeria from 36 to 37. The new state, with Orlu as its capital city, will be created from portions of Imo, Abia, and Anambra states. The bill seeks to…

The federal government has flagged off freight train service from Dala Inland Dryport in Kano to Apapa Port in Lagos state. The freight service will run on the narrow gauge. The minister of transportation, Said Alkali, said the development of a modern, safe, secure, and sustainable transportation network was a priority of President Bola Tinubu’s administration. He also said the restoration of freight services will bring down the cost of transportation, reduce the cost of doing business, save the roads by reducing the menace of road traffic accidents, and boost the country’s GDP. The Minister said: “The fixing of the…

The Senate on Thursday, June 6, approved the nomination of Emomotimi John Agama (Bayelsa) for appointment as the director general of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The red chamber also confirmed the nomination of three commissioners for the agency. The three nominees confirmed for appointment as commissioners of SEC include Frana Chukwuogor (Enugu), Abimbola Oyebola Ajomale (Ogun), and Samiya Hassan-Usman (Kano). Chukwuogor was nominated for appointment as Executive Commissioner (Legal and Enforcement) in SEC, Ajomale as Executive Commissioner (Operations), and Hassan-Usman as Executive Commissioner (Corporate Services). The resolution of the Senate followed its consideration and adoption of the report…

Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, has congratulated a former Deputy Governor of the state, Chief Benjamin Elue, on his 84th birth anniversary on June 6. Governor Oborevwori, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Festus Ahon, in Asaba, noted that Chief Elue, a distinguished educator and politician whose modesty, devotion, and loyalty has continued to inspire younger generation of politicians and leaders, served as former Governor James Ibori’s deputy from 1999 to 2007. According to him, Chief Elue had been faithful and dedicated to the cause of uniting and strengthening the state and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and…

Abia state Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has said he is working to create a conducive environment for new investments and bringing back investments that had left the state in the past. Otti stated this while receiving a delegation of investors from the USA, China and Brazil led by the Chief Executive Officer, CEO, of Comfort Stevens, Dr John Nwankwo who came to introduce to him their large-scale industrial footwear project which is to be commissioned in Owerri-Nta in Isiala Ngwa south council, by December 2024. Otti, who assured that his government would support the company in realizing its objectives of…

Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has announced that Anthony Joshua will face the winner of the Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk bout, provided he defeats Daniel Dubois in their upcoming fight in September. Joshua’s last fight was in March, where he delivered a spectacular knockout against former UFC champion Francis Ngannou in the second round, reaffirming his dominance in the ring. In a recent interview with The Sun, Hearn emphasized that their primary focus remains on Joshua reclaiming the world heavyweight title. He said: “I expect the winner of the December fight to fight Anthony Joshua, if he wins in September.…

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, has expressed concerns over the low turnout of Direct Entry registration as the exercise draws to a close. The board, in a statement by the spokesman, Fabian Benjamin, yesterday, observed that even as it had approved extra registration points, apart from the Professional Registration Centres, PRCs, which are JAMB-owned centres, in Lagos, Kwara and Osun states, the turnout had remained poor. Explaining that the expansion was to ensure that every eligible candidate was given the opportunity to realise their dreams of registering for the exercise, JAMB, however, regretted that “findings from the field…

The appointment of Nyesom Wike as Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was one of the best I made since my administration took off, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said yesterday. He commended the minister for striving to redefine leadership, saying that he cannot be ignored. President Tibubu applauded Wike’s sterling performance when he inaugurated the extension of Inner Southern Expressway (ISEX) in Abuja. The road which stretches from the Outer Southern Expressway (OSEX) to the Southern Parkway (S8/S9), was renamed Goodluck Ebele Jonathan Expressway, in honour of a former President. President Tinubu described the project as another testament to his…

The Confederation of Africa Football has denied reports that the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, which will be held in Morocco has been postponed. This is in the wake of viral reports claiming the body had pushed the tournament forward by six months to the start of 2026 due to a clashing timeline with the expanded 32-team FIFA Club World Cup, which will be held in the U.S. from June 15 to July 13, 2025. “Reports on AFCON 2025 are untrue. The CAF Executive Committee will meet, deliberate and make a decision on the AFCON 2025 dates. CAF will thereafter…

The Kaduna State House of Assembly has adopted a report from an ad-hoc committee tasked with probing the administration of former governor, Nasir El-Rufai. In response, El-Rufai’s camp has robustly defended his tenure, dismissing the committee’s findings as baseless and politically motivated. In a statement issued through his Media Adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye, El-Rufai criticized the probe, calling it a “politically motivated hatchet job.” The statement reads, “We are aware of news that the Kaduna State House of Assembly has adopted the report of the ad-hoc committee it asked to probe the El-Rufai government. We have not been availed a copy…